Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-22

should also be taken into consideration
/ and not be subjected to three commits
slOners with absolute power to cripple ev-
cry road within the state. II the railroads
appealed TO the courts to right their
wrongs, this bill confronted them and
stood as justification of the wrong. He
said if the railroads applied to the Cover
nor to know what rate of profit they would
! be allowed to make he would tell them
that he cid rot know, for the commission
bull had fixed maximum, bat no mini
man traffic rate. He would never sane
| ton putting three men above the iaw,
possessing all the frailti6s of
J the rest of mankind. No
doubt they would be honest men and
J he hoped above influence, but we had no
assurance that they would be perfect
! Senator Fields said that it was only
! recently that railroads We're protesting
| against commissions, but in Texas they
had grown so powerful by reason of their
| large lard grants that they were prepared
| 10 fight ali legislation.
Senator Jarvis tnen took the foCr AND
said that ne had not up to this time at
tempted to discuss this subject, and had
some trouble in coming to q conclusion
because of its Importance. He knew that
| the railroad interests of the state were
great; that they controlled about 2,0+0,-
| 600 acres of land; but he was not in favor
OF discriminating or legisl1ting against
any particular interest or class OF our
people. The great railway system was
necessary to the United States to carry
| food to her population and coal to warm
her people. II it had not been for the en-
| terprise of railroads nine-tenths of the
great territory covered with cities and
towns, dotted with farmhouses and
! schOolhOuses, would to-day be uninhabit-
able. Prosperity and civilization have
! followed the track Of the railres DIS in
/ Texas. He was as much in favor of reg
ulatlng railroads as the most ardent sup
| porter of the bill, but he was opposed to
| placing arbitrary powers into the hands
/ Of three men. He did not believe that it
was constitutional to dc so, nCtWItk-
standing the 2 ntlemen had held up the
constitution Of Georgia in justification Of
the bill. The Texas constitution was
different frCm that of Georgia in re-
gard to the right 10 create COM
mission. In this. while cur corsti-
| sutiOn spoke in general terms, Ge0rgia's
had & special clause granting the power.
! lie thought it wOuld be Impossible ior
three men and CLERK TO manage such
vast interests, much less fixing Tsces ami
RAINING trains. In conjunction with
! Governor R0ss's views Is expressed ia
ais message be thought that it would bo
Il useless expenditure of money.
Senator Simkins, speaking in favor CT
the amendment and the bill, said if lie
thought such construction could be
placed on the bill as was imputed to il by
Senator Burgess he would vote against il,
but lie did not so understand it. He
called attention 10 an opinion Of the So
preme court about the commission, where
they held the question of fair and reason
able rates and construed it to mean that
the commission could not regulate the
traffic so as TO injure the interests of
railroads. The United States Supreme
court held the law OF the commission to
mean that the rates could not be placed
below reasonable rates, and if the com
mission fixed them below reasonable
rates it would be considered
contiscation Of private property.
He said an evil like this could not be
reached by general laws, that we had eX-
perience with the law enacted IL lS83 in
Texas and the roads continue to form
pools, build up and tear down towns and
discriminate by the long and short haul
system. A special law creating a COM
mission was the only way to reach it.
The intec state bill Gid not touch the
short haul system ana that was what this
bill proposed to reach. He contrastGd
the position Of Major Waldo, general
pool agent, with the proposition to Great,
this commission AID held that if one man
could control and regulate the railroads
for the companies, why net three for lie
people.
10 REGULATE PAYMENT OF WAGES.
Senator Frank of Erath county Il = re
ceived the draft of bill from the citi-
zens Of Gordon, memorializiug the Legs-
lature TO pass bill that reads: can act
to regulate the payment OF wages OF
labOrers and employees, and to forbid
the payment of labOrers and employees Of
corporations and Others in store orders,
or orders f. me chandise, and to provide
penalties for same"
Section /. Be it enacted by the Legis:2-
lure of the state of Texas, that from and
after the passage of this act it shall be
unlawful for any corporation or any pr
or hirer of the laborer, or
eSlNlCtS VI d1CIHcl pcIsOp, W pay Sdlu
person for his labor or services then du5,
in store orders, or in order or orders OF
merchandise of any description whatever.
Sec =. That from and after the
passage Of this act, it shall be
unlawful for any corporation, or
any person being then and there
the hirer or employer of the labor or
services of any other person, said LABOR
and services being due, to pay off said
person, for his said services or labor, ex-
cept in lawful currency of the United
States of America.
Sec. 8. Any person or corpora
ton, violating any of the pro-
visions of this act, shall upon conviction
DE deemed guilty of 8 misd' meanor and
be fined in any sum not more than $1,000,
and shall be liable to the person damaged
in the sum of three times the amount
paid for labor or services in any manner
except lawful currency of the United
States of America
This bill proposes novel use of the
law making power to regulate private
grievances, and if it does not come strict
ly within the boundaries OF class legisla
ton the definition will have to be changed.
1t will no doubt prove interesting read
ing.
Senator Temple Houston has gone to